Workshop on the Development of a Japanese Literature Textbook

On August 18 and 20, a workshop dedicated to the development of a textbook for the course “Japanese Literature” was held at the Japanese Studies Section of the Department of the Far East, Faculty of Oriental Studies, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University.

The event was organized with the support of the Toshiba International Foundation and brought together leading specialists from Japan. Some experts participated in person, while others joined online. The in-person participants included Professor Hiroshi Araki of the International Research Center for Japanese Studies, Professor Hiroki Sakai of Wako University, Associate Professor Hiromi Motohashi of Aichi University, and Associate Professor Ritsuko Kidera of Kyoto Sangyo University. The online participants included Professor Kimiko Kono of Waseda University, Professor Hiroyuki Tsuda of Wako University, and Professor Kumiko Nagai of the University of Tokyo. All participants delivered insightful presentations addressing current issues in Japanese literature, methods of teaching Japanese literature, as well as the development and content of a Japanese literature textbook.

The instructors of the Japanese Studies Section working on the Japanese literature textbook project — Takashi Ninomiya, Maral Andassova, Samal Borankulova, and Madina Shadayeva — also delivered presentations, introduced the content and main directions of the project, and exchanged ideas and expertise with the Japanese specialists.

The workshop was held at a high professional level. We hope that the valuable comments, recommendations, and suggestions expressed during the workshop will contribute to the successful implementation of the project and to the development of a high-quality Japanese literature textbook.